Charles Bowker was one of Timaru’s earliest settlers and became closely connected with the block later known as the Oxford Building. Born in Huntingdonshire, England, he was educated at Huntingdon and later at Peterborough before beginning working life as a brewer’s assistant. His early years took him as far as Westport and King William Town in South Africa. After returning to England in 1852, he sailed to Lyttelton on the Zealandia and continued south to Dunedin, where he traded under the firm Bowker and Co.
In 1865 Charles moved to Timaru and managed the drapery branch of Clarkson and Turnbull for two years. Shortly after arriving he had purchased a section of land, and on this he erected substantial new premises. This development eventually formed the core of the commercial block occupied by himself, Ballantyne and Co., T. Wagstaff, and W. Miller. Those buildings later evolved into what became known as the Oxford Building. In establishing this block, Charles laid an early foundation for Stafford Street’s commercial growth.
Charles also acted as attorney for absentee landowners and oversaw a busy agency business. He involved himself in the milling industry, including interests in the Flume on Old Cottage Road, and he held both urban sections and a freehold property at the Hook.
George Bowker, likely a relative, expanded the family’s commercial presence. He established his land, estate and commission agency in 1879, and within a few years it was regarded as one of Timaru’s leading firms. George also opened South Canterbury branches for the North Queensland Insurance Company, further cementing the Bowkers as influential figures in the district’s property and insurance networks.
Together, the Bowkers contributed to shaping the commercial precinct around the Oxford Building. Charles’s early construction on Stafford Street created the physical framework, while George’s long-running agency added to the wider business landscape that supported the building’s evolution over time.
- Source New Zealand Encyclopedia, Vol 3, Canterbury
People in the yard of The Pines on College Road in Timaru, home of the Bowker Family. Charles Bowker who owned The Pines, was a land agent in Timaru. - collection of Christchurch City Libraries. https://www.canterburystories.nz/collections/photohunt/2013/ccl-cs-14754
